


Time Will Mend

by Road_To_Dawn



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: And angst, Fluff, Isa is a stubborn bastard but Lea loves him anyways, M/M, Sea salt trio friendship, Teasing, hold onto your seats because this is going to be an angsty ride oh boi, the fucking toothrooting headtouch™, their friendship is so wholesome, you'll pry this pairing from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 03:26:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18792034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Road_To_Dawn/pseuds/Road_To_Dawn
Summary: Isa is fine. He was recompleted not too long ago. Lea’s back into his life and he’s ready to become a new person. Right all the wrongs and all that stuff.Except that there are parts of his memory from when he was a nobody totally missing, he’s getting terrible nightmares and he thinks he might be dealing with PTSD from the whole Xehanort possession thing and an event he just can’t seem to remember.But he’s fine. Everything is fine.





	Time Will Mend

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Wolfie here!
> 
> I've had this story stuck in my mind since I played KH3 months ago and I decided to post this chapter today as a gift to myself lmao
> 
> I'll be updating the tags as I post new chapters. This story is going to get a little bit heavy so, please, pay attention to the warnings. 
> 
> Now, please enjoy! ^_^

Isa woke up slowly. His head was pounding, his thoughts were scrambled and his first attempt to open his eyes ended up being a total failure. He gave himself a few minutes to rest and tried to recall what the fuck had happened to him.

He remembered Xemnas. He remembered Lea holding him while he faded away on his arms. “ _See you, Isa_ ” His heart clenched in pain, a feeling so foreign to him at that point he didn’t know how to handle it. He missed Lea so much, he never would have guessed he could feel like _this_.

In all honesty, Isa didn’t think he would get a second chance at life. He had committed so many deeds. He shouldn’t have been given another chance.

He tried to remember more but… everything was hazy at most. Nearly every memory of when he was a nobody felt like he was underwater. There were his memories with Lea, when they were carefree teenagers unaware of the dangers of the world. Those were clear as an open sky.

Then there were some memories of when he was a nobody. When they decided to join the organization. Some missions after. Trying to climb the ranks to be able to protect Lea. Those were also clear.

A blank accompanied by a flash of pain and fear. And then every memory that followed was hazy.

He tried to remember what was missing, but it only fueled his headache. Deciding not to dwell on it, if only for the current moment, he made another attempt at opening his eyes again. This time, the walls had decided to stop moving. His next step was to stand up.

He placed a hand under himself and sat up. His head was still pounding but at least he didn’t think he was going to pass out immediately. Finally, after a great amount of effort (so much he would never ever admit it to anyone), he was successfully standing. His vision wavered from time to time, but he’d deal.

Isa headed to the opening of the back alley he was currently residing. It was time to discover which world he was in, though he had a slight suspicion already. Eventually, his staggering steps lead him to Radiant Garden’s grand plaza. He couldn’t help but smile at such familiar view, heart full of an emotion he didn’t… Wait, it was nostalgia. He was positive that was nostalgia.

Where to now? He didn’t have anywhere to go. To find Lea? Would he want him back? After all he’d made him suffer? Could he still consider him his best friend? How could he face anyone after all he’s done?

A sharp throb managed to take his mind away from spiraling thoughts and feelings he still didn’t know how to handle. ‘Anyway, in my current state I won’t make it too far.’ Isa admitted to himself. His headache was getting worse, he didn’t know how he was still standing up.

Isa’s azure eyes fell upon the silhouette of the castle, visible behind the houses. He needed help. As much as he didn’t want to face them, the castle was his best bet.

 

* * *

 

 

Ienzo startled when he heard the pounding at the door. He looked down at the replica and decided to keep working on Namine’s only way to come back to life. Better leave the problem to Aeleus or Dylan.

The pounding didn’t stop. He was about to yell at Dylan to attend the person who was so decidedly trying to bring down the door when he remembered both Dylan and Aeleus had left to patrol Radiant Garden. He sighed. He might as well see who was at the door and get it over with.

He expected a child. A distressed villager. What he didn’t expect was to find Saïx -no, Isa – at the doors looking half dead. In this moment of astonishment, his brain was only capable of ushering simple sentences “You’ve reformed”

Isa gave him a long-suffering look. Ienzo was not sure if it was directed at his brilliant words, or if it was because Isa decidedly looked like he was in a lot of pain. “It appears I have, yes” Isa leant on the wall, seemingly unable to stand by himself.

Worriedly, Ienzo approached the other man and put his hand on Isa’s shoulder. Isa flinched back instantly. “What’s wrong?” Ienzo watched Isa clench his teeth. “My head, it hurts”

Isa’s legs gave out, body falling onwards. Ienzo managed to catch him before he hit the ground. “Saïx!” But Isa had already passed out, and Ienzo was left holding an unconscious body.

 

* * *

 

 

“Axel, are you trying to find out how long it takes for your ice cream to melt?”

Axel gave the blond an annoyed look before biting a piece off from the sea salt ice cream. “Well, excuse you, but I was thinking”

“Come on Axel, we all know you can’t think” Xion said, amused. Axel brought his hand to his chest and gave an exaggerated gasp. “I wasn’t expecting this from you, young miss”

Briefs seconds passed when no one said anything. Then, the three of them burst out laughing. It took a while for them to calm down. No one said it, but they all had missed this, meeting up to eat ice cream.

“But, seriously, penny for your thoughts?” Xion asked. Axel could see the same question reflected in Roxas’ eyes. What had he done to deserve such great friends?

Axel looked down, eyes fixated on his melting ice cream. He watched the drops fall until they merged with the background. “I was thinking about Isa” He said, voice barely audible. “It’s been a month already. I’ve looked everywhere”

Silence fell over the three of them. No one knew exactly what to say. “No other nobody took so long to reform themselves. Maybe… Maybe it’s time to accept he’s not coming back” Axel’s eyes welled up with tears. Isa had been right, he still needed his emerald tears.

“He’ll come back” Axel looked up in surprise. Roxas was looking at him with determination. “I might not be too fond of Saïx, but I think he’s not the kind of guy that would give up so easily, so don’t give up on him either”

“Yeah, Axel, giving up doesn’t suit you” Xion added. “Besides, you promised you’d bring back all of you friends, you can’t break that promise”

Axel smiled. His friends smiled back at him. He really had hit the jackpot. Roxas and Xion were a blessing. “Thanks, guys. I-” Before he could add anything else, his gummiphone started ringing.

They listened to the ringtone for a while until Axel managed to find it. Who could it be at this time? Axel had no idea.

Surprisingly, Ienzo’s face appeared in the tiny screen. “Hey, Ienzo, what’s up” Axel greeted. Instead of following with a greeting himself, Ienzo went straight to the point. “We’ve found Saïx”

Axel froze. He lost his grip on the ice cream, which fell to the distant ground. He was… Glad? Worried? Anxious? Roxas placed a hand on his shoulder, effectively grounding him. “I-Is he ok?” Axel asked.

“We are not sure, he seemed to be in a lot of pain when I found him. I’m running some scans as we speak” The young scientist answered. “You should come here as soon as possible”

After exchanging some goodbyes and an “I’ll be there asap” Axel finally ended the call. He was left feeling numb. The welled-up tears finally fell down his face. He was back.

Isa was back.

 

* * *

 

 

Axel rushed past Aeleus just as he opened the door for him. He felt slightly sorry for totally ignoring the larger man, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He had a friend to find.

He found Ienzo in record time. “Where- huh- is he?” Axel managed to get in between pants. Good god did he hurry getting here. Ienzo looked at him, a flash of sadness mixed with sympathy crossed his face. “He’s down the hall, left door” He pointed behind Axel, letting him know he must retrace his steps.

Axel lost no time. He was about to head back where he came from when Ienzo stopped him. “I’ve checked him up, but I didn’t find anything particularly wrong with him” Axel exhaled, relieved. He didn’t find anything wrong. That was good. Right? “However, he’s taking too long to adjust. None of us had that much trouble”

Axel clenched his fist. So much for the good news. “So, are you saying you don’t know what’s wrong with him?” Ienzo looked pensive for a while. “I’m not sure. Maybe this is a side effect of Xehanort’s control. After all, Saïx is the one who’s been under his control the longest. Except Xigbar, of course.”

If the old man were still alive, Axel would have made sure he died a horrible death. He wanted to hit something. Ienzo’s hand landed upon his right shoulder, startling him. “Axel, don’t worry about it. I don’t think this will be a problem. He just needs rest, and then he’ll be fine” Ienzo’s voice was so soft, Axel had never heard him talk in such a manner.

“Alright. Thank you for taking care of him” He said. Ienzo smiled “No problem” And suddenly Axel lamented that he had never actually tried to make friends with this man. He vowed to fix that in the future.

He vacated the room and headed in Isa’s direction. The walk to the room where his best friend was at was not that long, but it felt eternal to him. By the time he was standing in front of the door, he was so anxiety ridden that he forgot how to breath for a couple of seconds. The fact was, he was so afraid. Would Isa be back to being himself, or would he still be an… asshole, just like when he had been under Xemnas’ control? That last time, in the Keyblade graveyard, it had given him _hope_. Isa had behaved differently, more like his old self.

Axel took a heavy breath, stood still for a moment, exhaled. This was not time to freak out. He needed to stay strong. For Isa, and for himself.

Opening the door was hard, but he managed. The room was big, there was a bookcase, a table and a chair. There was also a huge window. Soft curtains did their best to block the light, but some rays of sun managed to slip into the room, giving it an almost surreal feeling.

Resting against the wall, in front of the window, there was a bed. Axel headed towards it, gaze locked on the person currently laying there. A blanket covered Isa up to his neck, the only visible part being his head and his beautiful hair, sprawled all over the pillows. The fact that he thought Isa’s hair was beautiful was an issue he’d have to mull over another day.

Isa looked… strangely peaceful. Axel was overwhelmed by emotions. He was sad, happy, relieved, angry… Not knowing what to do with himself, he lifted a hand and brushed a wild strand away from Isa’s forehead. Instead of bringing his arm back, Axel let his hand stand on Isa’s head. He started to gently massage his hair.

Tears threatened to come out once again. He was not stepping out of this room until Isa woke up.

 

* * *

 

 

Isa felt… nothing. He was floating. Had been for a while now. It was difficult to concentrate on anything. Thoughts came and went, never staying for too long. A situation like this should have been scary, but he was not afraid. Isa was used to this. Used to… nothingness.

‘Maybe I should stay like this. It’s easier this way’ It was just a fleeting thought, but it rested heavy on Isa’s heart. He wondered, with the bare minimum of emotion he could muster, if this thought that just crossed his mind was right. What was awaiting him once he woke up? Uncertainty. He truly didn’t know.

At that moment, he was about to let go. But then, as if his body had just been lit on fire, a strong bout of determination hit him. Axel needed him. And he knew. He knew it was unfair for Axel to think that he needed Isa in order to keep going. Axel was strong. He would get over it given time.  But at least he _had_ to believe that someone, if only one person, needed him in their life.

Resolve restored, Isa fought unconsciousness. He started regaining feeling all over his body. He was still in pain, but this was nothing compared to what he had been feeling before passing out. His fingers twitched.

There was a weight on his head. It was just there, resting, comforting. Isa didn’t know how he could tell, but it felt familiar. He wanted to know what it was, so he opened his eyes. It was a slow process, and he closed them immediately when faint light assaulted his irises. Next time, he was more careful.

Once his eyes adjusted, he glanced over the room. It was dark, the only light coming from the window, through which he could see the unmistakable shape of the moon. Then he looked up and, suddenly, he was breathless. Such a beautiful sight didn’t belong in the real world. That he was sure of.

Over him, laying against the left side of the window, was Lea. The soft glow of the moonlight shined behind the redhead, giving his face an angelic appearance. Slowly, Isa sat up. He didn’t want to wake Lea. He watched him sleep for a couple of minutes, contemplating how _much_ he had missed him.

This was too good to be true. He needed to make sure this was real, so Isa raised his arm. Carefully, with utmost care, he rested his hand against Lea’s cheek. He caressed it for a second. It was real. And then, out of nowhere, Isa’s blue eyes locked with very awake green ones.

They both looked like a deer caught by the headlights. No one talked for what seemed like forever. Isa was still hovering his hand over Lea’s cheek. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up”

The readhead was still looking at him as if Isa was an apparition. What should he do now? He didn’t know. He just didn’t know. Subconsciously, he resorted to familiarity. “What, cat got your tongue?” Isa smirked. Teasing Lea was something he’d always enjoy, no matter what happened.

However, whatever kind of satisfaction Isa got was quickly snuffed out when tears started pouring down Lea’s face. Maybe he shouldn’t have teased him so soon. Isa couldn’t believe he’d been back with Lea for a total of 3 minutes and he’d already fucked up. What kind of friend was he?

Isa’s rampant thoughts were stopped when Lea threw himself at him. He embraced Isa like there was no tomorrow, hands holding the back of his head. “I thought-” A heart wrenching sob stopped Lea midsentence. “I thought you weren’t coming back!” He finally managed to get out.

Once Isa got past the initial shock, he reciprocated Lea’s hug. They both embraced each other in a silence only disturbed by Lea’s quiet sobs. After a while, once Lea had calmed down, Isa spoke. “I was afraid too” A slight tremor in his voice was the only indicative that he was feeling emotional too. “I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again” Silent tears slid over the X shaped scar on Isa’s face. I he wanted to fix this, to go back to whatever relationship they had before becoming nobodies, Isa needed to open up about his feelings. Being closed off was what landed him in this situation. He wouldn’t risk losing Lea again. He’d rather die.

Lea’s hold tightened around him before backing away. He held Isa’s face carefully, bringing their foreheads together. Isa was captivated by Lea’s blinding smile, and the words that came out of his mouth filled his chest with a happiness like he’d never felt before.

“I promised, I’ll always be there to bring my friends back”

**Author's Note:**

> I have already written chapter two but I won't post it until I've finished chapter 3. I probably won't be able to post for a while since I start exam hell next week, but I'll be working on the story ;). I have already planned how I want it to end and some really important scenes. The problem is getting there XD


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